Tourists visiting the small town of Palazzolo Acreide in southeast Sicily will find a museum dedicated to their predecessors, the delightful Museo dei Viaggiatori in Sicilia (Travellers in Sicily Museum). The museum was born out of a passion for old engravings. A native of the town, Antonella Rizza, and his sister-in-law collected engravings and watercolours of Sicily, from landscapes to books and maps. The local council at Palazzolo Acreide has used the collection as the basis for the museum, which explores the history of travelling in Sicily since the 18th century.
Careful thought has gone into the displays at the museum, and imagery of locations drawn and painted centuries ago are shown alongside photographs of contemporary Sicily. Much of the museum is devoted to the work of French painter, architect and engraver Jean-Pierre Houël and the French artist and writer Dominique Vivant, Baron Denon, who founded modern Egyptology and became the Louvre’s first curator. Houël travelled in Sicily, Lipari and Malta between 1776 and 1779, and went on to publish numerous lavishly illustrated travel books on his journey. Denont wrote ‘Voyage en Sicilie’ (Travel in Sicily), an account of his trip through Malta and Sicily from 1780 to 1785.
Where: Museo dei Viaggiatori in Sicilia, 5 Via Maestranza, 96010 Palazzolo Acreide, Siracusa, Sicily
Website: http://www.museoviaggiatori.it
